Pain and tenderness
Adenoma and papillary carcinoma are usually painless and non-tender growths. Follicular carcinoma, when it spreads beyond the thyroid gland, may feature chest pain, and pain upon swallowing, but the primary mass of the tumor is non-tender. Patients with anaplastic carcinomas may report dull aching pain in the neck. Pain in the ear and bone are also features of anaplastic carcinoma. They are caused by an infiltration of the nerves and metastasis to the bones, respectively. It can even cause acute bone pain due to a pathological fracture of the bone.